Darkest Before the Dawn
by Cimar of Turalis
Summary: Why did you have to leave me, why?" She pushed herself ever deeper into her chair, letting it absorb her sorrows and pain. "Why did I ever agree to come here in the first place. If I hadn't, he might still be...." Co-authored by Sweswe.


This story is a bit of a hike into a new area for me, tragedy. Had some help from Sweswe, a fellow author on this site as well as part co-author to this story. She edited it, added scenes and made it into a great story. So enjoy and if you liked it a lot, or didn't, leave a review so I can know if this style works!

***

"Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life."

"How to Save a Life"

_The Fray_

***

* * *

The study was empty for once. It usually was the center of all the commotion in the Smash Mansion with all of the games and pranks that took place within the room. The off-white walls showed several patches of color from the time Sonic had raced through the room when Peach had been teaching the Nana, Popo, Lucas and Ness how to paint. A hole above the fireplace, marked the spot where Captain Falcon had been kicked into the ceiling, courtesy of Samus and Sheik.

The reason why the room was empty was sitting on one of the loveseats that were placed in front of the fireplace. The fire itself was a smoldering pile of ashes, its faint glow casting eerie shadows into the darkened room.

Usually two identical seats sat next to each other, the back of the chairs facing the door so that their fronts could face half towards the fire and half towards the other chair for conversational purposes. Tonight, however, only one chair sat in its normal position. The other sat jammed against the doorframe, tipped at just the right angle to prevent anyone from coming into the room.

Quiet sobs seemed to echo from the chair itself. A small figure sat huddled in the depths of the chair, her outline distorted by the smoldering glow from the firelight. Her head rested on a small pillow placed on the armrest of the chair, its surface covered in small dark stains from her tears. Her hands and lower arms lay beneath her head, hidden beneath her golden hair that lay haphazardly around her frame. He quaking body shuddered every few moments as new waves of despair and pain pulsated her tender frame.

They had tried to help. They really had, and all it did was slide the dagger deeper into her wounded heart, twisting it around and leaving it there, embedded in the deepest area of her soul.

Her head lifted slowly from the pillow, its soft velvet stained by hours of tears cascading down in waves upon its surface. Several times she had thought that she would have run out of tears. The memories had played like a broken record over and over until her mind was empty and there was nothing left to cry over. If only it could stay that way, but those short moments of staring up at the ceiling and feeling nothing were transient and then it would start all over again. The thoughts and the crying that repeated again, and again, and again.

She watched with reddened eyes as the fire continued its slow demise. With a small crackle, a larger log broke in half, sending a small flurry of sparks into the air. Several of the sparks danced above the dying flames, supported on a small updraft before they flickered out, never to produce light again.

A wave of images trickled into her mind as she watched the last of the flames begin to wane.

_Why? And why him?_

_*_

_"Come on Zelda, it's a beautiful day out today."_

_She giggled softly as she felt him place a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. She put the book on the tabletop next to her, shaking her head as she got up from the chair. A large fire crackled in the hearth, bristling with energy and emotion as the flames performed an intrinsic dance in front of her._

_"I knew you would want to come. It will be such a gorgeous sunset tonight." _

_She glanced out the window. Ugly black clouds filed across the sky. The tops of trees waved and whipped as a steady gust beat against the stalwart giants. It would have been nice to sit huddled up in front of the fire with a good book as she had planned to. But since it was for his sake... _

_"How can you say that it will be a gorgeous sunset tonight with this weather?" she asked chuckling softly, amazed at his optimism. When she walked towards the door he put an arm around her shoulder and leaned his head against her. _

_"I didn't say that they weather would make the sunset beautiful. I was meaning that you would be the beauty behind the sunset."_

_*_

Fresh tears welled at the corner of her eyes as she felt another wave of shudders rack her already weakened body. She dropped her head into the pillow, allowing her cries to be muffled by the cushion.

_Goddesses why?_

Three soft knocks on the door echoed into the room, filling it with an unwanted noise. She paid it no attention. She wanted the sounds to stop, because they were as loud and ugly to her as if someone had pressed their palms down on the keys of an organ. Still, it was a small pain in comparison to what already tortured her and there would only be a moment of time before this minor disturbance stopped. Time was a fleeting thing, after all.

Another set of knocks pierced the quiet sanctity of the room.

"Leave," she mumbled into the moist pillow and pulled her legs up closer to her body. It was not meant for them to hear. If so, then they would respond and then she was supposed to reply, something she could not be bothered with. She only wanted to make her wish into sound, even if her voice was hoarse and weak from all the crying. She let the steady beats on the wooden door continue, not quite sure for how long, until silence was once again upon her.

There would never be any reply. Had they at last understood? She heard muffled voices on the other side of the door.

Again, three knocks at the door. With streaks of tears on her face she lifted her head from the pillow and her eyes stayed on a vase on top of the fireplace. She raised her hand towards it and between her fingers she could make out the blur of a brilliant azure glow that began to surround the vase, lifting it into the air. She threw her hand to the side, the vase imitating her movement as it blazed across the width of the room in seconds. A portrait etched onto the side of the vase caused her to flinch at the last second. She stopped her hand but it was too late as the vase crashed into the door, shattering into a thousand pieces.

Her breath caught as she stared at shattered remains of the vase, the pieces thrown all across the floor. She got off the chair and staggered towards the door, her hands covering her mouth in horror as she stared down at the largest one of the pieces. All strength in her vanished. Her knees buckled, causing her to collapse in a heap on the ground. She reached for the piece, her quaking hands holding it tenderly as she held it up. A face she recognized and loved dearly watched her with unflinching eyes. His eyes piercing into her soul and heart while his smile held a warmth that…

_This was what he gave me for my birthday last year._

"Are… Are you all right?" A voice traveled through the door.

She was too tired. She laid down the piece of the broke vase, careful not to cause any more damage, and lay down on the floor.

Let them knock. They will be gone before long.

*

_The wind howled around them, sending a shudder through her frame from the cold. She felt a slight weight added to her shoulders as a sudden warmth surrounded her. She turned and saw that he had placed a coat around her delicate shoulders._

_"I don't want you catching cold now do I?" he laughed._

_"I thought you said this was going to be beautiful?" she said through chattering teeth while wrapping the coat more tightly around her frame. They had been standing in the same spot for twenty minutes now and the clouds were still an impenetrable mass of grey above them, the sun nowhere in sight._

_"It always is beautiful out here when you're around though," he replied cheerfully and squeezed her shoulders, letting go with a laugh. She pressed her hand to her face to try to hide the small blush that was warming her pale cheeks and she did her best to defy the cold with a smile._

_"You can stop with that you know," she chided while rolling her eyes. "It isn't beautiful out here because of me." _

_The young man looked stunned._

_"Then you don't know what you are missing when you look in the mirror," he said as he reached out to her cheek and turned her face towards him. His eyes met hers, staring down at her with a kindness and warmth she rarely saw and this time she felt that there was even more to that gaze. She felt her breath catch within her throat as their gaze into each other's eyes continued._

_"Even the most beautiful sunset in the world pales in comparison to a single glance from your gentle eyes. Not a painting on earth adequately contain your beauty while even the best music itself cannot breath any more joy into my frame than from hearing your voice entering my ears and calling my name."_

_He smiled at her when he reached into a pocket on his belt, pulling out a small blue instrument that had once belonged to her._

_"Even though they can't compare," he said while putting the instrument to his lips. A recognizable soft tune, filled with high bright notes filled the air around them as he played. The notes seeming to flutter around the two of them before they floating off into the sky above._

_He slowly dropped the instrument from his mouth, placing it back into his pocket before returning her gaze. The smile was back on his lips. _

"_Although they sometimes do try."_

*

Several people stood motionless in the hallway, a forlorn silence filling the corridor as their friend wouldn't respond to their requests.

"She doesn't want us in there right now."

"We have to do something Ike," Peach replied, worry stressed into every syllable. "She needs us right now."

"She just wants to be alone, let her be."

The princess gasped at the bounty hunter standing next to her.

"Samus, I can't believe you would say that. If at any point in her life she needs a friend she needs one now," Peach replied breathlessly.

"Leave her alone if that is what she wants."

The three people turned to see Toon Link walking towards them, his large normally blue eyes that had always been filled with a joy of life were now bloodshot from the despair that hung around his soul.

"I know her better than any of you do. Even you, Samus," the boy said, pointing towards Samus before his arm fell back to the side, his strength entirely gone. "She needs this time alone. I think we all do."

His small frame began to quake and tremble as a small tear appeared in the corner of his eyes, making him seem even more pitiable. Peach hurried over to him, kneeling down while reaching out her arms as the boy raced into her embrace, his tears flowing more freely than before. The group at the door watched the display before them, angered, confused and saddened by everything that had so suddenly happened that night.

"I think we all need some time to ourselves," Samus mumbled before she turned and began walking down the hall. She disappeared into a room near the end of the hall, only a small click registering her departure as the door to her and Zelda's room shut softly behind her.

"I'll leave you two alone."

A red cape swirled past Peach as Ike walked past her and the sobbing Toon Link. He too disappeared down an adjacent hallway, his footsteps slowing fading away, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway. Peach looked back at the child in her arms and sighed. She lifted him in her arms, grunting slightly at the boy's weight as he held his arms around her neck, and began walking down towards where Ike had disappeared into his room. She glanced down the stairs into the enormous living room where nearly a dozen of the Smashers had gathered together, all slumped down into their chairs or holding their faces in their hands. All the rest had retreated to their rooms or left the mansion entirely, each finding the spot that would bring them comfort. Several small sobs could be heard as Peach descended the stairs, carrying Toon Link in her arms.

One of the figures noticed her climbing down the stairs and quickly got up from his chair, walking with long strides towards her.

"Is she all right?" Roy asked, his normally cheerful voice replaced by a concerned undertone. The warrior had arrived at the mansion only a few minutes earlier, having rushed there after receiving the tragic news.

Peach shook her head, trying hard not to wake the boy she held in her arms as he had fallen asleep. Roy looked at Toon Link's small frame, noticing the bright golden triangle etched into the boy's hand. It now glowed much brighter than it had just a couple of hours before.

_Before it happened._

"Of everyone here it just had to have been him," Roy muttered when he walked back to his chair and collapsed into it, holding his head in his hands. Peach watched the swordsman for a moment before she found an empty seat on the couch and placed the sleeping form of Toon Link onto it. The boy fidgeted for a moment before he settled back down on the couch and into a troubled sleep. Peach stroked his blond hair and then walked over to Roy to sit down next to him.

He glanced up at her, his eyes a bright red as he wiped at invisible tears with his hand.

"Thank you for coming Roy. I know that you had… other plans besides this," Peach mumbled as her attention turned back to Toon Link. Pit was walking over to the small form on the couch, placing a blanket over the shivering boy and gently raising his head, placing a small pillow underneath. The boy caught Peach's glance and smiled momentarily, only for it to be replaced by a frown when he walked, wings hanging low, back towards his seat.

"How did it happen?" Roy asked suddenly, catching Peach off guard.

"I don't really know," she admitted after several seconds. Her eyes had been glistening of tears awhile, but it was first now that they had begun to silently trickle down her cheeks. "I just looked outside and saw him lying on the ground. She was shaking him but I didn't understand that it was anything serious. I thought it was just a game..." She paused and tried to dry her tears with the back of her hand. "He didn't move."

Peach tried to contain her emotions but failed as a large sob escaped her lips. Roy placed his arms tenderly around the Princess as she placed her head on his chest.

"Why did it have to happen tonight?" she sobbed, wiping at her eyes with her handkerchief. "He had tonight all planned for her. It was to be their big night and…"

Roy could hardly contain his emotions either as Peach broke down entirely next to him when he tried to comfort her. He would have to put off his own tears awhile longer though. She had been holding her own emotions in while looking after the others and she also needed someone to lean on. He glanced out the window towards the garden where an ambulance was now parked. Several paramedics were talking to Dr Mario who was trying to explain what had happened just a few hours before.

_"I don't know why he had to leave us,"_ Roy thought when he turned his attention back to Peach. "_I just don't know."_

*

_The wind began to slow to a brisk breeze and then slowed to a complete stop while the massive thunderheads evaporated into thin air before their eyes. She gazed in wonder as the sun appeared just on the edge of the horizon, its edges just started to creep below the mountains in the distance. Its light bathed their eyes in a dazzling show of reds and oranges as the light flashed across the sky one last time before setting behind the mountains. _

_"You were right. This is beautiful," she said, watching the brilliant sunset that lay before her eyes. "Wouldn't you agree?"_

_She turned to the young man, a warm smile on her face, but that began to wane when she saw his face._

_"Are you all right?" she asked, a hint of concern reflected in her voice. His eyes were wide open, his left arm by his side twitching slightly while his right arm gripped it as if he was in pain. Several small coughs escaped from his mouth as his body began to shake._

_"Link, what's wrong?" she asked. He put up a hand to make her stay back but she reached past it and caressed his cheek. Her hand was numb from the cold in spite of the warming gloves. It made her movement clumsy and her panicked touch was not very gentle. His face slowly turned towards her and he attempted to smile when he grabbed at his chest, his frame lurching backwards and away from her touch._

_"Link!?"_

_He seemed to fall slowly backwards, as if time itself was in a standstill. She watched his frame fall, the inches seeming to take hours as his eyes finally connected to hers. Pain filled the soft, blue spheres as a small smile finally crept onto his face._

_The only thing worse than that smile was the soft thud that came when he finally landed on the soft earth, just as the sun passed behind the mountains, bringing about the end of the day._

_*_

A soft breeze came through the open window of the room; the noise of fluttering drapes momentarily masked the footsteps of a dark figure that crept carefully through the open frame. No shadow draped across the floor, on account of the moonless night since the clouds had reformed over the mansion. The figure slipped quietly onto the floor of the room, careful not to disturb the woman lying in front of the door. Only a few steps away from her, the wood under his feet creaked softly. The figure froze as the women in front of him lifted herself up onto one arm. He did not move nor make a sound, but he had come close enough for the last embers of the fire to cast a shadow on the wall and her form went rigid.

"Who's there?"

He could not find it in him to reply.

"I want to be alone."

When he did not answer she turned her head to look at the mysterious visitor. Her eyes locked with his and she struggled to her feet. Once he got a good look of her tussled hair and swollen eyes he ignored her plea for him to leave and approached her. She raised a fist, her slow motion betraying that she was too exhausted to do any physical harm and judging by her hollow gaze she knew that. The figure caught her hand midway, holding it delicately.

The clouds behind the person dispersed just enough to make a small amount of light from the moon filter in from outside, illuminating the figure for her.

His form was roughly the same size as _his. H_is features carried the same concerned tone as _his. _And those eyes… Those terrible blue orbs that stared softly back at her.

_Don't bring the memories back again. Why did it have to be him?_

*

_She tried shaking Link's shoulders but he did not move. Her voice got stuck in her throat as she began to cry, her tears searing her face. If she just got a word out he would answer her, right? She grabbed him with both of her hands, the long sleeves of his coat sliding down over her thin wrists, and she shook him harder._

_"P-please…" she choked out._

_His eyes stared blankly back into hers, their bright blue hue fading with every passing second. A door slammed open nearby and several pairs of footsteps rushed towards her, shrill voices filling the air. The outside lights flickered to life as the shadows of her friends formed around her while several others kneeled next to her. A man with a white lab coat pushed his way through the crowd, a small bag in his hands._

_She watched the man as he put his head on Link's chest, listening for any sound. After several moments, he lifted his head and rolled back his sleeves and began to push against the chest of the young Hylian. After several pushes, he leaned down and pressed his mouth against Link's and exhaled, forcing the air down into the Link's lungs. He repeated the process several more times, each time she felt like she was gliding further and further away from reality._

_After the fifth try, the man sighed, bringing his head up from Link's chest. She felt the inside of her chest beginning to burn when the man silently shook his head. He turned towards her and began to speak, a look of deepest remorse in his eyes. She stared at the moving lips, not able to make out a word, but it did not matter. She understood all too well._

_She did not wait for him to finish as her voice split the air with a cry of anguish. She bolted from the place where she was sitting, shoving away the hands offered in help as she ran through the open door and to the place where she and him had begun their last night together. The one place where she hoped she would awaken from this horrid nightmare._

*

She stared into the young man's eyes.

_"So much like his,"_ she thought. His fingers were still curled around her wrist and the feeling of disgust when touched challenged the part of her that wanted to lie down and never move again. The loathing she felt was almost enough to call the tears back. She glared at him.

The wind played softly with his short blue hair and he slowly released her hand from his grasp. She let it slip to her side as the sobs began anew. By now it felt like second breathing to her and she cried without putting much emotion into it. It would not stop, would it?

The young man said nothing as he watched her put her hands in front of her face, trying to wipe away some of the tears while she turned away from him and sat down on the floor amongst the pieces of the broken vase. He crossed over to her side, sat down and reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulder. Her fingers spread to reveal her blue eyes and the way she looked at him he had no choice but to withdraw his hand.

"I know what it is like to lose a friend," he muttered quietly. She slowly raised her eyes towards him, her hands starting to shake when his gaze fell from hers, her vision somewhat impaired by the tears from the last few hours. She moved further away from him. He sat silently for several moments before he spoke again, his words coming out softly and with much thought.

"Well, I guess it's not the same," he sighed. "I haven't been in this situation before. I lost my father in battle," he stopped, pursing his lips as he tried to find the right words. "Same thing with my comrades."

He locked his hands together and rested his chin on them. His eyes closed as he frowned. Zelda was looking in the other direction. Her cheeks felt sticky, a sign that the tears were running dry, but she was sick of trying to wipe them away.

"Twas somewhat different with her though," Marth mumbled and for a short moment his eyes opened and he stared into distance. "Felt like our friends pitied me more than they grieved her." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, keeping his eyes shut. Whatever he wanted to say he was struggling and a couple of times his lips parted only to close again. "I could not reply when I was asked if I loved her and, truth is, I still don't want to think about what I really felt."

Zelda refused to look at him. It felt too private for her to hear and what was he trying to say? Her gaze rested on the door where there no longer were any muffled conversations coming from the other side. Then she felt that Marth had fallen silent and she turned back to him, keeping her gaze focused on a spot below his face.

He reached over, lifting her chin just slightly so that she could see into his eyes that glowed with a warm intensity.

"Even though I didn't realize it at first I needed my friends to be strong for me. It's not wrong to lean on others."

She stared at him as he reached into a pocket with his free hand, never moving his eyes from hers, while retrieving a small handkerchief, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. She jerked away from him and crawled backwards to put distance between them. She was too exhausted to feel anything anymore.

"I don't care," she said. "Just go."

The handkerchief fell from his hand but then he clenched his jaw and tried to reach out for her again.

Her hand rose in front of her, glowing a bright blue as a wooden chair near the wall began to glow with the same color. She flicked her hand and in a deft motion, threw the chair towards the intruder with lightning speed. The young man jumped back as the chair flew inches by his face and crashed into the wall next to him, showering him in splinters. She gave the remains a cold stare and then let her gaze slowly wander back to him.

"Leave… now."

The young man rose while brushing several of the splinters from off his shoulder and took a step towards her.

"No."

She raised her hand a second time as he took another step forward. Another chair began to glow when it was grabbed telekinetically with her mind. She threw it towards him, this time the man ducked to the floor, the chair passing over his head. He removed his hands from his head, glanced up at her and then got up and took another step towards her.

"Zelda."

*

The doors to the mansion opened, waking Peach from her slumber. She turned her head, watching the lights on the ambulance drift away into the darkness. Dr Mario sighed deeply as he trudged across the room, slumping down into a chair near the princess.

"I just can't believe I could've done nothing," he murmured.

"It wasn't your fault," Peach cooed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You did everything you could."

Dr Mario sighed heavily as the weight of his newfound knowledge he had obtained from the paramedics stabbed at his mind.

"It's not that," he murmured, fumbling in his pocket. He brought out a small wooden box, the symbol of the Triforce carved onto the top of the mahogany container.

"They found this in his pocket when they were examining him."

His shoulders slumped even lower as he dropped the box into Peach's outstretched hands. She caught it deftly, surprised at the lightness of it. She glanced at Dr Mario, hoping to get a clue to what it was. He simply shook his head, the first signs of tears in the corner of his eyes.

Peach slowly opened the box a centimeter or two and gasped before she closed the box swiftly, her eyes wide in sudden realization at exactly what kind of special night Link had planned.

"I will take care of this," Peach said suddenly and clutched the small box in her hand. "You mustn't tell her."

He merely sighed.

"No, we can't ever let her find out about this."

*

"Don't speak to me," she said and her voice trembled, like the rumbling of a volcano that was about to erupt. "All I want is to be left alone. Please."

Her face twisted into a grimace of hurt and anger when he chose to approach her again. She raised her hands a third time. This time, the man began to glow a soft bluish hue as the light twirled around his body.

"I just want to make you feel better."

"Do you think I'm stupid? How dare you come here and speak of some woman and pretend that you understand? Do you think I didn't notice your jealousy? You and Link never got along at all and whenever you ended up facing each other in a tournament you fought like you had the intention to kill. What were you hoping for? That he would die so that you could swoop in like a hawk and try to steal my heart?"

The light coming from her hands crept up her arms, flashing and dancing dangerously as it began to illuminate the entire room in its eerie glow.

"Aren't you happy? You've got your wish."

Marth's eyes dropped to the floor.

"No," he whispered, raising his head as he could see into her eyes. She was surprised to him holding back tears. "No, I'm not happy in the least."

Zelda flicked her hand in front of her, her eyes darting to the ground and her hair falling in front of her face. The prince's body raced across the room and crashed into a bookcase, showering him in falling books.

"I would not lie to you," he ensured her while trying to push books off of him. He felt the power she had over him weaken and saw the glow softening. He was beginning to fall away from the bookcase when the telekinetic grip returned and she hurled him back into it and a couple of the heavier books fell to the floor. Pain shot through his left shoulder, causing him to groan in pain.

"I know how you felt about him and I. Why wouldn't you be happy?"

"I was his friend as much as you were," Marth replied, his voice trembling.

"The way you looked at us when we were together? The dark looks you threw in his direction? And you dare to claim that you compare to the years he and I spent together?" Her hand moved back and forth, opening and closing. He was banged into the bookcase over and over until she at last released her hold on him. She watched him through stands of blonde hair, her every feature that of a crying girl's, only there were no tears.

Marth stumbled to his feet, placing a hand on a nearby desk for support when he began to stagger and fell to one knee.

"I would never be happy when you're grief-stricken like this," he gasped as he pushed himself to his feet, already feeling the bruises forming. He raised his eyes to meet hers as they stared across the empty room.

The flames around Zelda's hands began to fade to a dark blue, blending with the darkness of the night, as she took a step backwards, away from the prince.

"I'm not happy," Marth said with pleading eyes as he took a step forward. Zelda raised her hand into the air, lifting the prince off the ground in an instant.

"Stop or I'll throw you out the window," she warned him as the prince struggled to grab onto a nearby chair trying to stabilize himself. He glanced towards her again, his eyes this time filled with tears that threatened to spill over.

"I'm not happy because you're not happy."

The fire around Zelda's hands disappeared as she dropped to her knees. The field around Marth disappeared as well, placing him safely onto the ground. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he raced over to Zelda's side, catching her as she slid into his arms. Her sobs began to rack her frame, each one being more and more violent as she allowed her emotions to rage freely and fill up the void inside of her.

"It will be ok," Marth whispered, massaging her back as she placed her head against his shoulder. She did not listen to him; her lack of faith in such words would only make it worse.

"Why?" she sobbed as he held her close. _Why him? Why now? Why did it happen? Why had he not told her? Why did he smile in that last moment? Why did he have to be so reckless? Why had she met him? Why? Why? Why? _"Why Link?"

"I don't know," came his reply. "Fate plays cruelly with us mortals. It picks out the roses just as they are beginning to bloom and tramples them beneath its feet, while leaving the thorns to see another sunrise."

Nothing made sense anymore. Link had been chosen by the goddesses and blessed by their holy light, so why was he rewarded like this? She believed in them, but she doubted whether she believed in anything after death. Maybe it would have been easier to accept it all if she could have imagined that Link had been taken to a higher place because the goddesses loved him, but she did not. The only thing she knew was that cold body she had been shaking, which could no longer see, no longer smell, no longer hear, no longer taste, no longer touch.

"Why him?"

"That is a question I cannot answer Zelda," Marth replied as he wiped away one of her tears with his finger.

Marth sighed as he watched Zelda shudder from her tears that replaced the ones he removed.

"If I could change places with Link, I would have done it in a heartbeat to save you from any second of despair," Marth whispered as he placed his hands tenderly on her shoulders. She glanced up at him, not the least bit happier by his great sacrifice.

"Why... why would you do that? Just to make me feel better?"

Marth sighed deeply, lowering his head.

"Seeing how quickly life can be snatched away from us, I actually regret how I treated him." His eyes rose to meet hers.

"His life was cut far too short. None of us knew this was coming but we can't let that despair that we feel now overcome us. Link was the kindest, bravest soul I had ever met and that is what I envied him. If there was any injustice he spoke against it. If there were things he could not agree with he did not step back like a coward. If I had been more like him, maybe I could have been more honest with myself. That is why I watched him with that envy that you mistook for jealousy."

She turned away from him, letting his arms fall to hang in empty air where she had once been. Marth sighed as he dropped his hands to his side. She pressed her palm to her forehead.

"You must think I'm so vain," Zelda murmured as she stared down at the ground.

"Please, forgive me for what pain I have caused you, I did not mean it," he whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. She felt a tiny bit of pressure as Marth pushed himself up with his other hand.

"I'll leave you now, but remember, none of us wants to see you like this forever. I know it has been only a few hours since we both lost a friend, however, we all want to see you smile again, even if it feels as if no happiness remains inside of you."

She sniffed softly as his hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to see him staring down into her eyes.

"The night is always darkest before the dawn, although sometimes it seems like the dawn will never come," Marth whispered softly into her ear.

She felt his hand leave her shoulder and a quiet whisper echo as the sound of footsteps rung in her ears.

"...In due time, Zelda... please, don't be angry with me anymore."

* * *

***

**Cimar:** Yes, if you are still wondering, I did kill off Link and Marth is hoping to help out Zelda. If you liked it, please send in a review. I would love to see if this is really a successful story or not. Also, much, much thanks to Sweswe for this story. Had been thinking of writing a tragedy and tried writing it and failed. Found her story, "Why are you dying," and it gave me the inspiration I needed to finish this. She helped so much in the editing process as well so be sure to send her a nice message as well if you liked this.

And check out her story as well since it is awesome!!! If you don't do either, you'll make Zelda cry more because I killed Link in vain.

**Zelda:** You don't want to do that now do you? *sniff*

**Marth:** (sharpening sword) I don't think they want to... (glares evily at those who make Zelda cry)


End file.
